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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — music
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cell — in biology
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. swing — in golf
  16. firm — steady
  17. deal — to handle
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cell — a phone
  20. game — a match
  21. firm — decided
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com